Monday, April 20, 2009

Wonderful cache of East York info!

I live close to S. Walter Stewart library which is the closest library to the old "downtown" East York. It dawned on me that there would most likely be a great selection of books and reference material, including archive photos, from East York over the years. I'm a history nut and I love old maps, old photos and old personal accounts of Toronto, so one day last fall this is where I headed.

The reference librarian pointed out the motherload: a whole East York section!

I randomly selected a red duotang, with type written pages, entitled History of East York. No date. It was the most interesting find. Here's what I discovered:

Plains Ave was once the northern most boundary across the east. O'Connor Drive was only begun once the bridge across the ravine (east of Woodbine) was completed in 1932. The reason it is named O'Connor Drive is because the man who owned the lands at Victoria Park and O'Connor was instrumental in helping to erect the bridge. He was the owner of the Laura Secord Candy chain and had a great many political connections - thus a street name marks his contribution to East York forever.